Talk of Health Care Lost in Mania About Process

The various twists and turns of the health care reform debate have been, if nothing else, a remarkable educational opportunity for Americans. We have learned more about the concept of reconciliation than most of us ever wanted to know. We have been witness to attempts at procedural legerdemain fit to make David Copperfield blush and political gymnastics which would likely have sent Nadia Comaneci to the hospital with multiple pulled muscles. Musty Supreme Court decisions from the 19th century have been dusted off for a fresh stroll around the National Mall. And after all this, we still don’t seem to know how the story will end.

The truly remarkable aspect of this story, at least to me, is how the one thing nobody is talking about at this stage is health care. As pollsters continue to take the nation’s collective temperature, the one thing a solid majority of Americans seem to agree on is that something should be done about the cost and availability of health insurance. Exactly what that something should be, though, remains a mystery.

There are individual elements of the plans presented by both Republicans and Democrats which garner a good measure of public support. Everyone seems to like the idea of more competition among insurance companies, but we apparently can’t manage that. Reforming the out-of-control medical malpractice lawsuit industry looked like a sure fire winner until a few thousand trial lawyers demonstrated precisely where the real power in Washington resides. It seems like the only thing a consistent majority of voters could agree on was that they didn’t like the current bill crafted by Team Obama.

And yet, like the proverbial frog in the punchbowl, the Democrats have abandoned the idea of improving the product to make it more palatable and toyed with a dizzying array of plungers in an effort to jam it through the legislative pipes. In the old days, when we needed a new law, Congress was forced to come up with a bill which both chambers could agree on and convince the president to sign it. It seems like such a quaint idea today.

When the old-fashioned way of passing bills into law seemed ready to fall on its face, the Democrats floated the idea of bringing matters to a close through reconciliation. As the expected protests erupted, the Donkey Party pointed out that Republicans have used the same procedure several times in the past. This argument carried the virtue of being true, but ignored the fact that it was generally only done on matters of taxation and spending where both sides had agreed on the proposal in broad strokes but were bogged down on the percentages and pennies. Reconciliation is a valuable tool in that regard, since it pretty much assures that nobody gets exactly what they want.

34 Comments, 34 Threads

1.
Jay Getty

I thought Fox news obsession with the “process” demonstrated nicely just how broken the TV/Cable news media is.

I believe that all TV/Cable “news” reporters should be licensed by the government just as Doctors, Lawyers, CPA, et al are licensed. To be licensed, one must demonstrate a “doctorate” level mastery of the subject matter that one is authorized to cover and reporters should not be allowed to cover any subject they are not licensed to cover. That would, of course, eliminate 90% plus of all the current TV/cable reporters from the screen; and we would no longer be insulted by: “incompetent to ask the appropriate a question”.

Also, reporters should have a code of ethics: after you ask a question, shut your big mouth at least a minute and let the person answer; but that would mostly take care of itself if you had competent licensed reporters instead of “ hi mom did you see me ask a question” types…

I thought Fox news obsession with the “process” demonstrated nicely just how broken the TV/Cable news media is.

I believe that all TV/Cable “news” reporters should be licensed by the government just as Doctors, Lawyers, CPA, et al are licensed. To be licensed, one must demonstrate a “doctorate” level mastery of the subject matter that one is authorized to cover and reporters should not be allowed to cover any subject they are not licensed to cover. That would, of course, eliminate 90% plus of all the current TV/cable reporters from the screen; and we would no longer be insulted by: “incompetent to ask the appropriate question”: pretty boys/girls…

Also, reporters should have a code of ethics: after you ask a question, shut your big mouth at least a minute and let the person answer; but that would mostly take care of itself if you had competent licensed reporters instead of “ hi mom did you see me ask a question” types…

No, I don’t feel better and I have a serious case of the swoons and I really don’t want to fall on any furniture in some overly dramatic Southern Belle “I’ve got the vapors faint” [which is really embarrassing considering that the ‘vapors’ meant that you had a case of Senior Loco’s three-bean flatulence) and I am pretty sure smelling salts aren’t in my medicine cabinet (unless I magically transport to 1845) and I don’t think I can reach my cellphone and what is that smell and…

There is NO PROCESS going on in this admin and this whole ‘health-care’ Chicago thug and jive has nothing to do with health or caring or Americans.

The only thing I want to know is when Obama will “win”. I really want the Democrats and Obama to “win”. I don’t care about the minutia and details of the health care bill that will change the course of this Nation for the foreseeable future. By the way when is Obama going to “win”?

Isn’t it entertaining to have a quislinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quisling
who can use his “heretical, Northeastern former RINO “ insight (he never said sarcasm)
to diminish the consequences of an attack on the U.S. Constitution.

Well, it really doesn’t make sense to license reporters, because then only those who agreed with the political establishment would be able to speak. Worst idea I’ve seen all year.

What I do find interesting is that only conservatives have gotten into the nitty gritty and compared the bill with the promises Obama and Pelosi are making. The conclusion is that the promises are not talking about this bill, but something in the President’s imagination that has never been proposed.

While conservatives are actually reading the bill, liberals are simply assuming it should pass. Publications such as The Nation and Mother Jones are failing their readers by not analyzing the bill, just saying it should be passed.

I find this, frankly, shameful. If you want the bill, tell us about it and why we should support it. Conservatives have done a brilliant job at reading the thing and telling us exactly what’s wrong with it, citing specific pages and lines. Liberals have remained silent, I think because it is a bad bill, but they want to see it passed anyway.

To me, that is not acceptable. If it’s a bad bill, dump it and start over.

Period.

I suspect this is why the bill has received such opposition. We sense we are being lied to and don’t like it one bit.

For those whose eyes glaze over
at the mere mention of ‘Process’
a simple sports analogy:
Nobody minds a little ‘Home Cooking’
by the referee of a Basketball game;
If the Ref trips one of the players,
and kicks him when he is down, that
is grounds for replacing the Ref.

For those with a longer attention span
and a greater fear of naked abuse of power,
try reading the summary below, and then try
saying ‘Politics as Usual’.

1. Jay Getty: “I believe that all TV/Cable “news” reporters should be licensed by the government just as Doctors, Lawyers, CPA, et al are licensed. ”

Why don’t you get on a plane w/Sean Penn and sell this tripe down in Venezuela – where the public is forced to live under such oppressive ‘protections.’

You are not upset with anything but content, and feeling the sting of residing firmly in the minority as far as the overwhelming response to that content.

It’s understandable that Obama and his minions have been delusional over the public rejecting his so-called reforms. As the public has made clear, both in elections and polling, they reject the Chicago Way as well as content. Obama has no one but himself to blame.

Because this Prez decided to surround himself with the same people who were his campaign staffers – none of whom had zippo experience outside of Chicago. (Jimmy Carter did much the same with similar results) Hense, rather than listening to the people, Obama’s acted on the their advice to double down on stupid and dig in.

Congrat’s to Bret Beir for his recent handling of Obama – something no other journalist has yet even presumed to attempt. He required the ONE to answer tough questions in a respectful manner.

All the whinning from unseful idiots like Jay Getty can’t put the Obama mania back in the campaign genie bottle. This President has revealed himself in year one for who he is – far adrift of the mainstream public that elected him – residing on the far left of the political spectrum – in simpatico with his number one congressional partner – Nancy Perogi.

He way oversteped with Health Care. Period. Jumped the Shark AND screwed the pooch. He could have likely HAD EVERYTHING HE WANTED – had he followed LBJ’s example – and invested 2-3 years of legisative wrangling. In short – if this is – as Dems insist -the most important social legislation in the past 50 years – then why wouldn’t Obama make such an investment/committment?

Because he didn’t believe he had to – since he had the biggest super majority this side of Carter in ’76.

Well, he screwed it up. All the whinning about process is just so much white noise in the disasterous aftermath. He’s as naked a fraud as Madoff after the market tanked.

The White House decided that economic crises + 54% popular votes = a Reaganesque mandate. They gambled and they lost.

Anyone with at least two brain synapses stil firing knows that the ONLY purpose of the “health care reform” movement is to have a bill, any bill, that can be the centerpiece of “an historic signing ceremony.” The Dems are doing all this to secure what they think will be the mother of all phto-ops featuring a smiling President handing out ceremonial pens to his posse while offering soothing platitudes about “a new dawn in the nations health.”

Mark Steyn is absolutely right. They want to push this wreck across the finish line no matter what it looks like because, once its there, it can never be removed. It will usher in a bleak new era of endlessly rewriting, reforming. “fine tuning” and improving “the bill.” Costs will increase relentlessly along with a health-care bureaucracy composed chiefly of self-serving unionized public-sector employees.

If NOT for FOX news, we would not know what in the hell is going on in our country and how we are being screwed by the politicians we elect…

THANK YOU FOX NEWS!!! 100000000TIMES OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!1

The elected officials don’t know what is in the bill…no one wants to discuss it because they are unaware of what they are passing!!! Also, the shredding of our constitution will be challenged !!

Obama needs to be put on the carpet, questioned, explain his “bill” until WE are satisfied!! he has no right to chastise anyone, LAUGH AT THEIR REMARKS OR TALK DOWN TO THEM!! He is not the almighty, although he acts like he is.

There should be no such thing as “entitlements”..someone, somewhere is paying!! I hope Obama is a one termer..although as dirty as they are and trying to bend laws…
the chicago way” could get his @$$ back in.

1. A little thing called the First Amendment to the US Constitution says you can’t do that. It’s called Freedom of the Press, and it means that anyone can publish anything they want, with the sole restrictions that nobody is obligated to listen and that you can’t destroy someone’s reputation based on a lie.

11. It is impossible for the Republicans to win a veto-proof majority in the Senate in 2010; there simply aren’t enough seats up for a vote. Come 2012, we won’t need a veto-proof majority, just a filibuster-proof majority, because we can simply defeat Obama.

In this case, Jazz, the process is just as important as what’s done in the bill, itself. The Slaughter Rule (has there ever been a better name for such an obscenity?) *is* of substance because it is an assault on the binding agreement the Constitution has to this point represented. While I agree this has been a distraction from the debate over health care per se, it is nevertheless an important issue on its own.

Oh, hogwash. Smarten-up Jay Getty, this is a TAX BILL and nothing more. The IRS implements the collection of HC fees and fines and hires 15,000 new agents to come to your house and haul you off to jail.

So, Getty, reading your comments tells me you are either a communist or just plain stupid. Either is OK, and I’m certainly glad i don’t have any acquaintance to you. I hope the strait-jacket still fits.

Article headline: “Talk of Health Care Lost in Mania About Process”
Jazz writes: “The truly remarkable aspect of this story, at least to me, is how the one thing nobody is talking about at this stage is health care.”

So what does Jazz write about? The process, thereby joining in the mania and ignoring the one thing “…nobody is talking about..”. It isn’t really a mania though. The process shows us the sorry nature of the Dem majority. By their actions you shall know them.

After considerable mental pain and suffering, Hyphenated American decided that the passage of Obamacare will be in the long-term interests of America. I will applaud if the Obamacare passes – particularly if it passes through the infamous Slaughter Rule.

My readers surely would want to know the reasons for my sudden turn-around – it is obvious from my blog that I am a strong opponent of socialized medicine. In all honesty I must confess that Obamacare is a wrong idea at precisely the right time. It is beyond dispute that Obamacare will be devastating to the American healthcare – but at the same time it will most likely destroy the Democratic Party for the next 50 years – and that assuming that Democrats are lucky.

Back in November 2008, when conservatives predicted doom and gloom, I believed that Obama’s presidency would seriously weaken the liberals – and I am proven right with each passing day.

Most conscious people know that the mainstream media has been giving Barack Hussein Obama a free pass ever since he declared for the presidency.

Thus, his claims to have campaigned in all 57 states and other “Bush-isms” have somehow escaped the radar of the MSM whereas G.W. Bush’s malapropisms and innocent mistakes are still prime fodder for ridicule.

Nevertheless, Obama and his henchmen, principally VP Joe Biden as primary henchman, continue to outshine any Bush faux pas even if few people ever hear about them.

Joe the Mouth’s latest was his heartfelt wish that Irish P.M.’s Brian Cowen’s sainted mother rest in peace or, as Biden said after realizing Cowen’s mom was very much alive and kicking, “God bless her soul.”

Actually it was Cowen’s da who was deceased but why quibble when it comes to a meaningless regret from the vice-president of the United States: http://bit.ly/bFY7Wo

Before you slam my view on Obamacare – read the entire article on my blog – and THEN, if you disagree, comment on it. Don’t jump to conclusions until you understand my rationale. You may find that you agree with my point of view.

Here is the NEXT step to ADD Millions and MILLIONS more DEM voters and NON CONTRIBUTORY RECEIVERS of the FREE Obamacare. You just knew it was coming didn’t you but even I am amazed at the LYING MOHAMMEDAN BOGUS POTUS’s CONTEMPT for the American people that he is moving n this even BEFORE his Obamacare TAKEOVER happens. And he STILL wants you to believe its going to cost LESS. LOL

President Obama on Thursday gave a thumbs-up to the framework of a plan to legalize illegal immigrants and create a flow of low-skilled foreign workers for the future, saying the bill being worked on by a Republican lawmaker and his Democrat counterpart is “promising.”

The long-awaited framework, written by Sens. Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, and Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, calls for illegal immigrants to be put on a path to citizenship and would create a temporary program for future foreign workers. Maybe most contentious of all, it would turn all Social Security cards into tamper-proof IDs to be checked by employers when they are about to hire a new worker. The cards would include biometric information designed to prevent counterfeiting — but the senators said the information would not be stored in a government database.

“I congratulate Senators Schumer and Graham for their leadership, and pledge to do everything in my power to forge a bipartisan consensus this year on this important issue so we can continue to move forward on comprehensive immigration reform,” Mr. Obama said in a statement soon after the two senators published their framework on The Washington Post’s Web site.

The senators said their legalization approach would be a “tough but fair” program that would require illegal immigrants to admit they broke the law and make them perform community service and pay a fine.

Illegal immigrants would also have to demonstrate they are proficient at English and pass background checks to gain citizenship.

Firestopper – be careful what you wish for. The Obamacare may pass the Congress – but I don’t think it’s here to stay. For one, I suggest you spend some time and study the bill itself, the new taxes it brings in, huge new entitlement, major cuts to medicare – and then add the current deficits, unemployment, debt and unfunded liabilities. Mix this with the change in population, loss of manufacturing, two wars, terrorism and plenty of new regulations that will suffocate the commerce. After you do all that – ask yourself a simple question – is this system sustainable? If the answer is “no” – then no matter how much you wish leftists to succeed, liberalism is screwed and Obamacare is NOT here to stay.

In short, forget emotions and desires and use logic. Pretend that you are an engineer, not a liberal arts major.

I am more than a little surprised that the subject of tossing education “reform” into the so-called reconciliation mix has attracted so little comment. While I’m still not sure how you can reconcile a bill the Senate never voted on, much less passed, it is clear it is in it’s own way nearly as big a power grab as the Obamacare bill itself. The government will decide which students can get loans to attend which colleges? Not to mention a few other sideliners like funding for “green schools” in lower grades. Granted the left has all but seized control of public education, but this sounds like private colleges are next on their list- at least the unenlightened ones.

I guess they figured that as long as they were going to shove their takeover of medicine down our throats, why not get another little chunk of our our freedom to choose, too.

Hyphenated American: Left wing moonbats like Firestopper: don’t operate on intelligent debate and logic instead they base all their decisions on what the MESSIAH tells them and unthinking, knee jerk, naive , gullibility and EMOTION and damn the consequences.

The highly destructive Cap and Trade. An inferior health care plan that no one wants and cannot afford to pay. The threat to jail and/or fine those who don’t purchase the government enforced plan. Massive spending as if there is no tomorrow. Massive borrowing. Massive debt. The massive printing of paper money. There is no question that the total DESTRUCTION of America’s economy is planned. The results will be horrifying. In the once wealthy and great nation of America, millions of Americans will become destitute, hungry and homeless with no money or resources to help them.

May 14 (Bloomberg) — President Barack Obama, calling current deficit spending “unsustainable,” warned of skyrocketing interest rates for consumers if the U.S. continues to finance government by borrowing from other countries.

“We can’t keep on just borrowing from China,” Obama said at a town-hall meeting in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, outside Albuquerque. “We have to pay interest on that debt, and that means we are mortgaging our children’s future with more and more debt.”

The communist usurper in the White House is deliberately, with the connivance of his allies in congress, destroying our economy so he can turn us over, as slaves, to the Rothschilds, his masters.
He may be laughing now, but his chuckles will turn to screams of agony in the eternal pits of Hell.
Lets be very sure we don’t end up there with him.

Kids generally don’t like rules whether they’re spelled out by parents or whether they’re dictated by custom yet most also generally conduct their lives according to the rules if only to avoid the repercussions for breaking them. Most kids innately understand that without rules life as well as the games they play would be chaotic.

Congressional Democrats don’t seem to understand what kids do and trample on rules established in order that congressional business is conducted in a fair and judicious manner.

Last month during the non-debate over Obamacare we witnessed an obscene disregard for the rules set forth in the Constitution and the written and unwritten laws of deorous behavior attendant on lawmaking.

Repeatedly, various Democratic congresspeople voiced doubts about facets of the Obamacare bill that they felt were unconstitutional–for example, forcing Americans to buy health insurance. However, almost to the man or woman they voted for it anyway.

Time and again they departed from the bounds of moral behavior–such as publically bribing Senator Mary Landrieu in order to secure her vote–in the monomaniacal interest of passing their leader’s legacy law.

Usually, people are discreet about breaking the rules and manufacture stratagem, and lies, to hide their brazen behavior. However, that wasn’t the case with two Democrats recently, Reps. Alcee Hastings of Florida and Phil Hare of Illinois, both of whom flouted the rules and seemed proud about it. . .
(Read more at http://www.genelalor.com/blog1/?p=1612)